System and Method for Tracking Sexual Assault Kit Evidence

1. A system for tracking evidentiary materials from remote locations, comprising: a plurality of evidence tags, wherein each of the evidence tags is comprises of an evidence tag identifier with machine readable indicia, wherein the evidence tags are designed to be attached to the evidentiary materials; a first set of evidence containers for holding a first set of the evidentiary materials with a rst set of the evidence tags attached to the first set of evidence containers for the evidentiary materials, wherein a second set of the evidence tags are attached directly to a second set of the evidentiary materials; a plurality of evidence kit containers having a set of unique evidence kit container identifiers corresponding with each of the evidence kit containers, wherein the first set of evidence containers are stored within a first evidence kit container having a first identifier from the unique evidence kit container identifiers, wherein the set of unique evidence kit container identifiers are comprised of a corresponding set of unique machine readable indicia, and wherein none of the evidence kit containers has a computer processor device; a central server; a central database, wherein the central database is configured within the central server, wherein the central database comprises a plurality of electronic records corresponding with the evidentiary materials, wherein the database has a hierarchical relationship between the first set of evidence containers and the first evidence kit container, and wherein the hierarchical relationship is comprised of a first set of correlations in the central database between each evidence tag identifier for the first set of evidence tags and the first identifier; a computing device in operative communication with the central server, wherein the computing device is separate from the evidence kit containers, wherein the computing device is comprised of a computer processor, a memory, a display screen, and a data entry device, wherein the data entry device is at least one of a camera module, a microphone, and a user input device, and wherein the evidence tag identifier is entered into the computer processor through a scan of the machine readable indicia by the data entry device for each one of the evidence tags attached to the evidence containers and the evidentiary materials; and a plurality of system user accounts, wherein the plurality of system user accounts are comprised of a set of custodial accounts and a set of victim accounts, wherein the system user accounts are configured to have a plurality of system user permissions, wherein the system user permissions are comprised of a set of custodial permissions and a set of victim permissions, wherein the system user permission is configured to provide an access to a set of evidence entries in the electronic records stored on the central database through the computing device, wherein the access is comprised of a query access for all system user accounts, a read-write access for the custodial accounts, and a read-only access for the victim accounts, wherein the set of evidence entries is comprised of a plurality of evidentiary information, a set of evidence tag identifiers for the plurality of evidence tags, and at least one of the evidence kit container identifiers, and wherein the set of evidence entries is transferred from the computing device to the central database for storage in corresponding electronic records.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the read-write access is configured to allow the system user accounts with custodial permissions to input the set of evidence entries into the central server through the computing device, and wherein the read-only access is configured to prevent system user accounts with victim permissions from inputting the set of evidence entries into the central server.

3. The system of claim 1 , further comprising a second set of evidence containers stored in the evidence kit containers, wherein the first set of evidence containers are comprised of a plurality of fixed-size specimen containers, wherein the second set of evidence containers are comprised of an expandable vessel, wherein the expandable vessel has an expanded volume greater than a space within the evidence kit containers, and wherein each one of the evidence kit containers is solely used for a single case.

4. The system of claim 1 , further comprising a set of evidence container identification labels attached to a corresponding set of the evidence kit containers, wherein the evidence container identification labels a further comprised of a corresponding set of machine readable indicia for the evidentiary materials in the respective evidence kit containers, wherein an item of evidence in the second set of the evidentiary materials is held in the expandable vessel, wherein the item of evidence inside the expandable vessel does not fit in the first evidence kit container, wherein at least one of the evidence tags from the second set of tags and one identification label from the set of evidence container identification labels is attached to the expandable vessel, wherein the hierarchical relationship is further comprised of a second set of correlations in the central database between the second set of evidence tags, the one identification label, and at least one of the first set of evidence tags and the first identifier.

5. The system of claim 4 , wherein the evidence container identification label is further comprised of the set of machine readable indicia on the second set of evidence tags and a corresponding list of human readable indicia respectively associated with the set of machine readable indicia, wherein each evidence tag identifier uniquely corresponds with each one of the corresponding evidence tags, and wherein the human readable indicia are comprised of an alphanumeric representation of the evidence tag identifier and a description of the corresponding evidentiary materials.

6. The system of claim 1 , further comprising an evidence index configured within the central database, wherein the evidence index is comprised of the evidence entries, the system user accounts, a progress report, a process, an evidence kit container status, and the hierarchical relationship, wherein the evidentiary information in the evidence entries is comprised of at least one of a description of the evidence and a photograph of the evidence, and wherein the evidence kit container status is automatically updated in the central database according to a chain of custody transfer entry made to the electronic records through the computing device with one of the custodial accounts.

7. The system of claim 1 , further comprising a plurality of healthcare management servers in networked communication with the central server, a first set of computing devices in operative communication with the healthcare management servers, a plurality of evidence management servers in networked communication with the central server, and a second set of computing devices in networked communication with the evidence management servers, wherein each one of the computing devices further comprises a corresponding one of the computer processor, the memory, the display screen, and at least one of the camera, the microphone, and the user input device, wherein the get of evidence entries is entered into the computer processor through the data entry device and is communicated to at least one server of the healthcare management servers and the evidence management servers, wherein each one of the evidence entries are at least one of the scan of the machine readable indicia through the camera module and interpreted by the computer processor, a voice entry of an alphanumeric representation of the evidence tag identifier through the microphone and translated by the computer processor through a speech-to-text conversion, and a touch entry of the alphanumeric representation though the user input device, and wherein the one server communicates the set of evidence entries to the central to the central server for storage in corresponding electronic records.

8. The system of claim 1 , wherein each one of the plurality of user accounts further comprise a unique user identifier, wherein the central database correlates the unique user identifier with the user account, wherein the unique user identifier is saved within the electronic records corresponding with the set of evidence entries for a set of cases, wherein each one of the evidence kit containers corresponds uniquely with one case in the set of cases, wherein the unique user identifier is communicated from the computing device to the central server, and wherein the computing device receives from the central server a set of the electronic records for the set of cases associated with the unique user identifier in the central database.

9. The system of claim 8 , wherein the unique user identifier is for at least one of the custodial accounts, the victim accounts, and another non-custodial account, wherein the unique user identifier for one of the custodial accounts is associated with at least one of a law enforcement officer and a sexual assault nurse evaluator and the electronic records received from the central server are for a first set of active cases, wherein the unique user identifier for one of the victim accounts does not include any personally identifiable information and is associated with victim biographical information in one or more of the cases and the corresponding electronic records are received from the central server, and wherein the user identifier is for at least one of a non-custodial victim advocate, a non-custodial prosecuting attorney, and a non-custodial defense attorney and the electronic records received from the central server are for a second set of active cases.

10. The system of claim 1 , wherein the hierarchical relationship is further comprised of a second set of correlations between the first identifier and a case identifier corresponding to a set of cases, wherein the computing device is a handheld computer for a law enforcement officer with one of the custodial accounts in networked communication with the central server, wherein a set of the electronic records are stored in the memory of the handheld computer for at least one case in the set of cases, wherein a search term is entered through the user input device of the handheld computer, wherein the computer processor performs an internal search of the memory for the search term, wherein the handheld computer ends the search term to the central server in an external search request, wherein the computer processor receives at least one of an internal search result and an external search result from the central server for the search term, and wherein the handheld computer provides on the display screen at least one of the internal search result and the external search result.

11. A system for tracking evidentiary materials within an evidence kit from remote locations, the system comprising: an evidence kit container having a unique evidence kit container identifier, wherein the unique evidence kit container identifier is comprised of at least one of a first machine readable indicia and a first human readable indicia, and wherein the evidence kit container does not have a computer processor device; a set of evidence container for holding evidentiary materials, wherein the set of evidence containers is stored within the evidence kit container; a plurality of evidence tags, wherein each of the evidence tags is comprised of a second machine readable indicia, wherein the second machine readable indicia is an evidence tag identifier uniquely corresponding with at least one of the unique evidence kit container identifier and each one of the corresponding evidence tags, wherein the evidence tags are designed to be attached to at least one of the evidentiary materials and the set of evidence containers; a central server; a central database, wherein the central database is configured within the central server, wherein the central database comprises a plurality of electronic records corresponding with evidentiary materials, wherein the electronic records comprise the corresponding unique evidence kit container identifier and at least one of a victim name and a victim identifier, wherein the central database correlates at least one evidence tag identifier for a set of the evidence tags corresponding with the unique evidence kit container identifier; a computing device in operative communication with the central server, wherein the computing device is separate from the evidence kit container, wherein the computing device is comprised of a computer processor, a memory, a display screen, and a data entry device, wherein the data entry device is at least one of a camera module, a microphone, and a user input device, and wherein the unique evidence kit container identifier and the evidence tag identifier are entered into the computer processor through scans of the machine readable indicia by the data entry device for the evidence kit container and each one of the evidence tags attached to the evidence containers and the evidentiary materials, respectively; and a plurality of system user accounts each comprising a unique user identifier, wherein the plurality of system user accounts are comprised of a set of custodial accounts and a set of victim accounts, wherein the system user accounts are configured to have a plurality of system user permissions, wherein the system user permissions are comprised of a set of custodial permissions and a set of victim permissions, wherein the system user permission is configured to provide an access to a set of evidence entries in the electronic records stored on the central database through the computing device, wherein the access is comprised of a query access for the custodial accounts and the victim accounts, a read-write access for the custodial accounts, and a read-only access for the victim accounts, wherein the set of evidence entries is comprised of a plurality of evidentiary information, a set of evidence tag identifiers for the plurality of evidence tags, and the unique evidence kit container identifier, and wherein the set of evidence entries is transferred from the computing device to the central database for storage in the electronic records.

12. The system of claim 11 , wherein the electronic records for each case in a set of cases is further comprised of a unique case identifier, wherein the central database correlates the unique case identifier with an evidence kit container status and correlates each unique user identifier with at least one of the set of cases and the unique evidence kit container identifier for each case in the set of cases, wherein each one of the evidence kit containers is solely used for a single case in the set of cases, wherein a first subset of the evidence containers are comprised of a plurality of fixed-size specimen containers, wherein a second subset of the evidence containers are comprised of expandable vessels, and wherein the expandable vessel have an expanded volume greater than a space within the evidence kit container.

13. The system of claim 11 , wherein the system user accounts are selected from the group of accounts consisting of a plurality of registered accounts, a plurality of non-registered accounts, and a combination thereof, wherein the unique user identifier is communicated from the computing device to the central server, wherein the computing device receives from the central server a set of the electronic records correlated with unique user identifier in the central database, wherein the unique user identifier for one of the custodial accounts is associated with at least one of a law enforcement officer and a sexual assault nurse evaluator, wherein the unique user identifier for one of the victim accounts is associated with the unique evidence kit container identifier and the corresponding evidence kit container status, and wherein the corresponding electronic records are received from the central server.

14. The system of claim 11 , wherein the victim identifier does not include personally identifiable information, wherein the electronic records received by the computing device for the victim accounts are comprised of at least the unique evidence kit container identifier and the evidence kit container status, wherein the computing device is comprised of a handheld computer for a law enforcement officer with one of the custodial accounts in networked communication with the central server, wherein the electronic records are stored in the memory of the handheld computer for at least one case, wherein a search term is entered through the user input device of the handheld computer, wherein the computer processor performs an internal search of the memory for the search term, wherein the handheld computer sends the search term to the central server in an external search request, wherein the computer processor receives at least one of an internal search result and an external search result from the central server for the search term, and wherein the handheld computer provides on the display screen at least one of the internal search result and the external search result.

15. A system for tracking evidentiary materials from remote locations, comprising: a plurality of evidence kit containers, wherein the evidence kit containers are comprised of a corresponding set of unique evidence kit container identifiers, and wherein the evidence kit containers do not have any computer processor device; a plurality of evidence tags, wherein each one of the evidence tags comprises an evidence tag identifier with a unique machine readable indicia; a first set of evidence containers for holding the evidentiary materials, wherein a set of the evidence tags are attached to at least one of the evidentiary materials and the first set of evidence containers, and wherein the first set of evidence containers fit within the evidence kit container; a set of unique case identifiers, wherein the unique tracking identifiers respectively correspond to a set of cases; an evidence management server; an evidence management database, wherein the evidence management database is configured within the evidence management server, wherein the evidence management database comprises a plurality of electronic records corresponding with evidentiary materials for the set of cases, wherein the electronic records are comprised of a plurality of evidence entries stored in the evidence management database corresponding to a hierarchical relationship between the evidence kit containers, the evidence tags, at least one of the cases, and a set of victim biographical information, wherein the hierarchical relationship is comprised of a set of correlations in the evidence management database between the unique evidence kit container identifiers, the unique machine readable indicia, the case identifiers, the victim biographical information, and an evidence kit container status, and wherein the evidence entries are comprised of a plurality of evidentiary information, a set of evidence tag identifiers for the plurality of evidence tags, the unique evidence kit container identifiers, and the victim biographical information; a central server, wherein the central server is in networked communication with the evidence management database through the evidence management server; a central database, wherein the central database is configured within the central server, wherein the central database comprises the unique evidence kit container identifier for each of the evidence kit containers and the corresponding evidence kit container status; a first set of computing devices in operative communication with at least one of the evidence management server and the central server; a second set of computing devices in operative communication with the central server; a third set of computing devices in operative communication with the central server; a first set of law enforcement officer custodial accounts with read-write access to input the evidence entries to the evidence management database on the evidence management server through at least an entry of one unique evidence kit container identifier for a corresponding one of the evidence kit containers and at least one scan of the unique machine readable indicia for a corresponding one of the evidence tags by the first set of computing devices, to query the evidence management database through the first set of computing devices, and to view the evidence entries on the first set of computing devices, wherein the evidence management server communicates the evidence kit container identifiers and the corresponding evidence kit container status to the central server for entry into the central database; a set of sexual assault nurse evaluator custodial accounts with read-write access to input the unique evidence kit container identifiers to the central database on the central server through the second set of computing devices; and a set of victim accounts with a read-only access to query the central database on the central server through the third set of computing devices and to view a limited set of the evidence entries from the central database through the third set of computing devices.

16. The system of claim 15 , further comprising a second set of law enforcement officer custodial accounts with read-write access to input the evidence entries to the central database on the central server through the first set of computing devices, to query the central database through the first set of computing devices, and to view the evidence entries on the first set of computing devices, wherein each one of the computing devices in the first set of computing devices is comprised of a computer processor, a memory, a display screen, and a data entry device, wherein the data entry device is at least one of a camera module, a microphone, and a user input device, wherein the unique evidence kit container identifiers are each comprised of a unique machine readable indicia, and wherein the unique evidence kit container identifiers for each one of the evidence kit containers is entered into the computer processor through a scan of the corresponding unique machine readable indicia entry by the data entry device.

17. The system of claim 15 , further comprising a healthcare management server in networked communication with the central database through the central server, wherein the sexual assault nurse evaluator custodial accounts have read-write access to input the unique evidence kit container identifiers and victim biographical information to the healthcare management server through the second set of computing devices, and wherein the healthcare management server communicates the evidence kit container identifiers and victim biographical information to the central server for entry into the central database.

18. The system of claim 15 , wherein each one of the computing devices in the first set of computing devices is comprised of a computer processor, a memory, a display screen, and a data entry device, wherein the data entry device is at least one of a camera module, a microphone, and a user input device, wherein a set of the electronic records are stored in the memory for a corresponding one of the cases, wherein a search term is entered through the user input device, wherein the computer processor performs an internal search of the memory for the search term, wherein the computer processor sends the search term to the evidence management server in an external search request for the evidence management database, wherein the computer processor receives at least one of an internal search result of the memory for the search term and an external search result of the evidence management database for the search term, and wherein the display screen shows at least one of the internal search result and the external search result.

19. The system of claim 15 , further comprising a second set of evidence containers stored in the evidence kit containers, wherein the first set of evidence containers are comprised of a plurality of fixed-size specimen containers, wherein the second set of evidence containers are comprised of an expandable vessel, and wherein the expandable vessel has an expanded volume greater than a space within the evidence kit containers.

20. The system of claim 15 , wherein each one of the evidence kit containers uniquely corresponds with and is solely used for a single case.